Hidden Encryption
by N.K Thomson
Summary: Prince Vegeta and Kakarot have been kidnapped, and it's up to Bardock and Toma to find them and bring them back home. But why would anyone kidnap the Prince? What information do they want from him? Lame summery, I know. Mpreg, yaoi, sexual themes in later chapters. Toma/Bardock, OC/Raditz, Bardock/Vegeta in later chapters . . . just to keep you guys from dying of bordem
1. Kidnapped

**1 Kidnapped**

_~Point-of-View of the Saiyan Prince: Vegeta~_

It was the dead of the night when I woke up. I didn't know why or what woke me up, but I felt immensely scared, as if whatever or whoever woke me up was after me, and it wanted to hurt me. I shivered and pulled the blankets around me as I lay back down on my pillows, feeling the gentle breeze flowing through my room from the open window.

There was a sudden knock on my door before it swung open and a young boy came in.

"Y-your Highness? Are you alright?"

"I-I . . . I'm fine, Kakarot; there's no need to rush in like that," I replied softly to him; Kakarot had been allocated the job of guarding me when his father was out on missions. He was barely a few years younger than me, yet he was already showing that he'd be taller than me.

"B-But, it's my job, your Highness," Kakarot stuttered, obviously flustered as it was his first night on the job, "I heard you crying out, and I thought someone was attacking you,"

"As you can see, I am perfectly fine," I growled irritably, "And as for crying out, is it not okay to have nightmares?"

"I-I'm sorry I bothered you, then, your Highness," Kakarot bowed respectfully, "I-I'll leave you to sleep,"

I felt slightly guilty by the way he said it, but I wasn't going to fall for it; it was clear he was trying to make me trip up and be all nice to him. It was all the same; every newly allocated guard tried to warm-up to me, then they'd betray me in their own ways. I couldn't help but be nervous of every new guard; one had tried to kill me in my sleep, although, I usually took hours to fall asleep; another had tried to molest me.

Unfortunately for him, I had a trigger set, so he was taken down by the other Royal Guards. My latest one, Kakarot's father, Bardock, had been the best in my opinion; he kept to himself, and he only peeked in when I had nightmares just to see that I wasn't in actual danger; he was quite blasé, though, I could tell he had a soft spot for me. . . That was why I hated his son; Kakarot had a habit of putting his nose in other people's business, though, I'm sure it's because he's nine and just curious. It's hard watching him trying to be like his father when he had a happy-go-lucky attitude his father doesn't have.

Good thing though; I don't think my father would approve if I fell for Kakarot, even if he were like his father. Kakarot was born with a low power-level, which meant he was third-class . . . which meant that my father would want the 'perfect' mate for me, whether it be male or female. Bardock, on the other hand, had proved that he held incredible power; I had over-heard the solders say that he had the same power-level as my father; the King of Saiyans. Now that's pretty impressive considering Bardock was also third-class.

It sometimes confused me as to why he still was a third-class; with his power level, I would've thought he would've been upgraded to a Super Elite. I'll have to talk to my father regarding a promotion for him. I heard Kakarot sigh just outside my bedroom door; he was probably becoming bored. I shook my head and rolled onto my side; I wasn't going to give; no way; he's not going to make me . . .

I sighed in irritation and sat up; I wasn't going to sleep if it kept nagging at my mind. Looking around the room, I quickly noticed my little box of toys I no longer played with. I grabbed the box and headed out into the hall. Kakarot looked up from his post (or should I say, seat), quickly noticing me; I got to hand it to him; he was quite reliable when it came to picking someone out in the shadows.

"M-my Prince?" he stared quizzically at me, "A-are you okay?" he then noticed my box then stared at me in shock, "Y-you're not running away are you? Gah, my father will kill me if he heard I let you go,"

I rolled my eyes as his eyes filled with crocodile tears, then sat the box in front of him.

"Here, you keeping sighing out of boredom and it's annoying," I stated, "So I have some toys you may be interested in playing with,"

"R-really . . . ?" Kakarot's eyes widened into puppy eyes, "Thank you so much- oh, I meant, I am humbly grateful for your kindness, your Majesty,"

"It's consideration, kid," I sighed, "Now don't break them,"

"No, I'd never," Kakarot shook his head, "Oh, by the way, why'd you call me 'kid'? That's what my dad keeps saying too,"

I stared at him for a moment; had I really called him 'kid'? I suddenly felt a strong longing in my chest; it felt strange not having Bardock guarding me. I guess I was becoming attached to him. I shook my head.

"Either way, I need to rest; I've got a busy schedule tomorrow," I huffed, "So don't make any noise,"

"Okay," Kakarot smiled.

I shook my head again and went into my room. As I closed the door, my mind began to reflect on what would be coming up in the next few days. My birthday was coming up soon; I'd be turning fourteen . . . normally, it's nothing to celebrate about . . . if you were human, but turning fourteen when you're a Saiyan meant that 'Spring' was coming . . . which meant that I'd be pressured into finding a suitable mate pretty soon. It also meant that I'd be most vulnerable because my body would be changing too . . . I'd be able to conceive if my mate was male, but if it was female, there wouldn't be much change . . . . Although, all things considered, my body was quite used to being around a male presence.

I quivered; these next few days were going to be hard; the following months and years would be difficult. I had no idea who to have as a mate, and I didn't want to be mated to someone I didn't trust; which generally meant most people. I sighed and crawled into my bed. Being Prince was hard; being Prince during puberty was going to be torture.

* * *

The next time I woke up, I was awoken by a scream; a scream that I recognised. I bolted upright in time to see my bedroom door smash open and a huge bulky man enter the room, holding Kakarot tightly around his neck and middle. I growled and jumped up to stop him, but Kakarot suddenly began pointing hysterically.

"L-look out . . . !"

I turned just as something hard struck me across my face, sending my sprawling to the ground.

"Heh, for the Prince, he's pretty easy to sneak up on," a cold, low voice laughed.

I glared up at him.

"You idiots, you obviously haven't thought through your plan all that much," I spat, "What are you going to do when the guards show up?"

"Well, we won't be here when the guards arrive," the one holding Kakarot grinned maliciously.

"Well, then," I stood up, "Looks like I'll have to handle this myself,"

The two laughed, making me growl in anger; how dare they mock me?! They mustn't have any idea who they were dealing with; obviously they had no clue if they were to attack me so idiotically. Hearing Kakarot whimper, I looked up at him; he was just a kid, he shouldn't be dragged into this. He was Bardock's son, and I had to protect him; I was the older one, so I had to handle this without getting Kakarot injured.

"Well, if you think you can handle both of us," the tallest chuckled, "Why don't you just try and beat us? But . . ." he sneered and looked over towards Kakarot, "If you don't cooperate with us, your little friend will get the punishment,"

As he said this, the man holding Kakarot flipped out a knife and held it against his throat, grinning devilishly. I turned to him in shock.

"N-no, don't!" I cried, "He's got nothing to do with whatever you have planned; I'm assuming you want the Prince . . . that is me, so leave the kid out of this!"

"Now that sounds more amenable," the man that had hit me grabbed my chin roughly, "But, we just might bring him along in case you decide to be disagreeable again,"

"If you insist on bringing him, than I have no choice but to resist," I snapped back, "I will not offer myself to you if you try anything to hurt him-,"

I was cut off as his fist struck me across the face again. I pulled myself onto my feet again, wiping the blood from the corner of my mouth.

"Well, if you insist . . ." I jumped up and swung my leg, striking his head hard.

The man stumbled back, and then glared at me. I glared back, though frowned when he began to chuckle.

"What's so funny?" I asked, "Finding your own defeat amusing? My, it seems you have a boring life,"

"Oh, it's not that," the second man smirked.

I frowned in confusion as I turned to him, but I was suddenly held tight as a hand came over my mouth; a cloth in his hand. My eyes went wide as I recognised the scent as chloroform; this wasn't the first time someone tried to kidnap me, yet I struggled when I felt my senses dull. No one was coming to help; usually there were soldiers rushing in, but there wasn't anyone else except for Kakarot who stared at me in fear.

The darkness overcame me, and I numbly felt my body go limp; hearing Kakarot shout out my name as I collapsed.

* * *

_~Point-of-View of the Third-Class Warrior: Bardock~_

When I arrived back from my mission, I was surprised to find the place unusually quiet. I turned to Tora and the rest of my crew, but they held the same confusion as I did. Something wasn't right; something horrible must have happened. Tora tapped my shoulder and I looked up at him.

"Hey, wasn't our son looking after the Prince last night?" he asked.

"Huh?" I blinked, "Oh, yeah, he was taking over from me so I could go on the mission,"

"Why don't we go find him and ask him if he knows what's going on," Tora suggested.

"Yeah, you're right; good thinking, Tora," I nodded, "Let's go,"

We set off into the Palace, though, when we arrived at the Prince's room, instead of finding my son or the Prince himself, we found the King. King Vegeta looked up as we entered the room, a grim look on his face; I had a suspicion that he had been crying by the way his eyes seemed puffy.

"Y-your Majesty," I bowed to him dutifully, and stood up, "May I ask what has happened?"

"I think it best if I talk to you, alone, Bardock," the King told me, "And I'd prefer to talk to you whilst we are sitting; we'll chat in the Drawing Room,"

I stood frozen, a heavy feeling in my chest; I knew that this 'talk' was going to about my youngest son, seeing as he was absent. I gulped nervously and nodded. I felt Tora's hand on my shoulder, squeezing a little before he left with Fasha, Shugesh and Borgos. Calming myself with a deep breath, I followed King Vegeta to the Drawing Room. Usually, the room would've held some of the most Elite Saiyans, if not the Super Elite. I had been in the room a few times on invitation, but, at this time, the room was empty. Of course, all Saiyans were allowed into the castle, though few were to enter the main rooms, such as the Drawing Room, and only the Super Elite were allowed in the Throne Room as guards.

Come to think of it, the Drawing Room was only vacated in emergencies. That didn't really help with the anxiety I was feeling. Usually, if someone were to be called on into such situation as I was, they may have thought they were going to get a promotion, or prepared to hear the worst news, or had already said goodbye to family and friends; it was intimidating to be asked to talk privately with the King. I clenched my fists and kept my cool as I sat down beside the King as he offered me a seat.

"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about, your Majesty?" I asked, not wanting to seem like I was worried, though I felt my anxiety heighten when I saw tears in King Vegeta's eyes.

"Bardock . . . last night, my son was kidnapped," King Vegeta explained, "You're son was taken as well; possibly as a hostage in case my son didn't do as he was told,"

I stared straight ahead to the other side of the room. Kakarot had been taken? My own son . . . ? It wasn't anything diverse to me; my sons were usually taken from me from birth to do biddings for Frieza, usually that meant sending them to another planet. I was lucky to have stopped Kakarot from leaving; after having my first son taken from me, I wasn't entirely ready to give up my youngest. I hung my head; the Prince had been taken too. That wasn't good; it would involve war if seen fit; meaning that the Prince hadn't been returned within a number of days, although, I had faith that 'Geta would know how to get out of it. I still couldn't help but worry; 'Geta didn't have just his own life to worry about, but of Kakarot's too.

I stood up abruptly.

"I'm going to find them, and bring them both back," I told the King, "I promise you,"

"That's all good and all, but, I'd prefer if you got yourself healed before heading out," King Vegeta pointed out, experimentally flicking a certain raw spot.

I winced slightly as he did, though brushed it off easily.

"Very well, but as soon as I'm healed, I'll head out," I replied, "Can you tell my team that I'm out on a personal mission?"

"Y-you're not going to bring them with you?" The King asked, rather confused.

"My King," I turned to him, "I care deeply for my Prince; I'd tear of the heads of those who dare hurt him. For taking both the Prince and _my son_ . . ." my fists clenched tightly, "THEY WILL RUE THE VERY DAY THEY WERE BORN!"

I quivered where I stood; I saw red. I felt ready to smash someone out.

"Bardock, I admire your audacity, but think through this carefully," the King warned, "Any wrong move from you may mean the death of our sons,"

". . . Y-you're right, I'm sorry," I sighed, sitting back down.

"It's fine Bardock," King Vegeta gently rubbed my shoulder, "Now let's get you healed; maybe that will give you time to think through your plan,"

"Okay,"

* * *

By the time the Rejuvenation Tank was drained from its healing liquids, I had a faultless plan; I had gone over it so many times, and went over any possible scenarios that would stop me. I was pretty satisfied with my plan; I just needed to go through with it, and hope that nothing unexpected happens. I stepped out of the tank, shaking off the wires and oxygen mask, and was surprised to see that the King hadn't left. He was sitting on the other side of the room with his head bowed, leaning against the wall.

At first, I thought he had fallen asleep, but then he looked up when I stepped towards him. King Vegeta smiled then suddenly wrapped a towel around my shoulders.

"Huh?" I blinked at him as he bowed his head again, "Y-you didn't have to get me one, your Majesty,"

"I know, I . . ." King Vegeta sighed, and then looked up at me again, "Just bring them back alive, alright?"

"That's what I'm planning on doing," I said quietly, "Don't worry; their safety is the main concern here, so I will bring them back, alive,"

"Thank you,"

I couldn't help but stare at him; usually the King wouldn't bother with gratitude, but I guess he was worried about his son, which I could understand. He suddenly gripped my shoulders and looked up at me with worry.

"Bardock, I'm begging you; please take someone with you," he pleaded, shocking me, "I know I may just be paranoid, but if my son couldn't hold them off long enough for help to arrive, then these culprits are either incredibly strong or incredibly intelligent," he quivered, "I'm not saying that you're not strong enough, I'm saying that two heads would be better than one,"

"Yeah, I think I should agree with you," I chuckled, "After all, I am a couple pineapples shy of a luau,"

"That's not funny, Bardock," King Vegeta said, though I could see that he was smiling.

"Don't worry, I know exactly who I'm going to ask along," I assured him.

"Good," King Vegeta sighed, "I wish you luck,"

The King left after that, so I was free to pull on my jumpsuit and armour, before I set off to find Tora. Tora had a few different places he'd like to hang out at after a mission, so it was a little difficult trying to find him. I decided to go to the Saiyan Tavern where he and the others usually hung out, though, I wasn't entirely confident that they'd be there. I was surprised when I passed Fasha on the way there. She looked up as we approached each other.

"Hey, Bardock, what did the King want?" she asked, "I hope that tyke of yours is doing okay with his new job,"

"I, um . . . . D-do you . . . know where Tora is?" I asked her, not really wanting to explain the whole situation to her, "The King wants me to go on another mission and he wants me to take at least one other person with me,"

"A mission . . . ? Set by the King . . . ?" Fasha looked a little shocked, and I couldn't blame her; most of our missions were set by Frieza that the King had reluctantly agreed to, "That must be some important mission . . . and secretive; I'd understand that if he's trying to hide it from Frieza . . . . Very well, Tora's already gone back to his quarters; he was worrying about you," she smiled, "And I'm glad that our King got you into a Rejuvenation Tank,"

I shrugged.

"Thanks, Fasha; I'll tell you the full story when I get back, promise," I said as I headed back towards Tora's quarters.

* * *

"What, you're kidding me!" Tora cried after I explained what my mission was, "Who in their right mind would kidnap the Prince!"

"Someone who's about to get their heads torn off," I whispered.

"B-Bardock, do you really think you should be doing this mission?" Tora asked after a moment, "After all, this is quite personal to you, to us, as our son was also taken . . . I'm just saying that, because . . . well, you tend to get quite reckless; don't you remember what you did when Raditz first introduced you to his mate?"

"Huh?"

**~Flashback~**

_"P-papa . . . ?"_

_I looked up from my work to find Raditz standing beside me, looking quite nervous. He was around fourteen at the time, so I knew that he had started looking for a mate. I frowned a little as I turned to him fully; he seemed a little jittery, well, more so than usual._

_"What's up?" I asked, "Is something wrong?"_

_"U-um . . . well, y-you see . . . I . . . I want to introduce you to my . . . u-um . . . mate,"_

_"Mate . . . ?" I could feel anger boil up inside me; usually it would be 'introduction of the companion'; obviously they decided to skip that step._

_Raditz could see that I seemed . . . 'a little irritated' by what he said, and seemed to tense up a little. I sighed and stood up._

_"Very well," I said, "Where is this 'mate' of yours?"_

_"U-um . . . h-he's waiting outside," Raditz replied, still nervous, "I'll lead you to him,"_

_'Him' . . . ? That sort of surprised me; I never thought Raditz to be a submissive person, especially to certain people who angered him. Although, when I saw who Raditz's mate was, I immediately knew how he became submissive. The boy was particularly taller and bulkier than Raditz was; I suspected that he was actually older than what he would let on._

_"Th-this is Alari," Raditz introduced him._

_"So . . . you're my son's mate, huh?" I glared at him._

_"That's right," Alari nodded, disregarding my glare._

_I growled and went to jump at him, but someone caught me._

_"How dare you?!" I cried, "You think you can take my son away from me so easily; you think you could mate him without meeting me first?! I ought to tear you a new asshole, you little punk!"_

_"Whoa, take it easy, Bardock," Tora said, "I'm sure they just had one of those moments,"_

_"I don't care; I'm gonna tear this guy to shreds!"_

**~End of Flashback~**

"Oh . . . right, but he did mate my son without my permission," I reasoned.

"Yeah, but now someone's _kidnapped_ our son; your threats won't be just words," Tora pointed out, "I sure as hell don't want to be those men when we find them,"

"Yeah, well, that will be a warning to anyone else who wishes to harm my boys," I growled.

"Take it easy Bardock; we haven't found them yet," Tora chuckled, "Now, let's get ourselves organised to leave, alright?"

"S-so, you'll join me?" I asked.

"Of course; someone has to hold you back from tearing peoples' heads off," Tora smiled.

* * *

_~Point-of-View of the Saiyan Prince: Vegeta~_

I awoke to find myself in a small cell, lying on torn bedding. It was cold and I shivered against the chill. I looked around for Kakarot, but he wasn't there. Had they left him back at the Palace . . . or had they locked him up in a different cell? I sat up, then noticing that I was wearing a loose dirty and torn gown; wh- . . . what happened to my clothes?

"I-I don't know what you're talking about; I swear!"

I gasped when I heard a familiar voice. Kakarot . . . ? Where was he?

"Don't lie to me, you little brat," I heard a man's voice say, "Now tell us the truth or I'll give ya a scar like your papa's,"

"I _am _telling the truth; I don't know what you're talking about!" came Kakarot's reply.

"Don't you dare hurt him!" I cried through the bars of the cell when I heard abrupt movements, "I said I'd let you do anything to me as long as you didn't harm him!"

More sounds of movement met my ears, and soon one of the men that had taken us appeared, gripping Kakarot's wrist tightly. Kakarot whimpered and wiped the tears from his eyes with his free arm. He had small cuts on his face, and grazes on his hands and knees; he was wearing the same thing I was. I glared up at the man as he approached the cell.

"You try anything," he said, pulling out his knife and holding it to Kakarot's throat like he had done before, "And his blood will be on your hands,"

Kakarot began to cry again, and I backed away from the cell door.

"Like I said; I'll agree to your wishes as long as he is unharmed," I whispered lowly.

The man smirked and unlocked the door before tossing Kakarot in beside me. I caught him as he stumbled and moved to stand in front of him. However, the man beckoned me towards him. I growled and approached him gingerly. He suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled me forward, throwing a punch to my face at the same time. I gasped and wiped the corner of my mouth before glaring up at him again.

"Alright, tough guy," the man smirked more maliciously, "You're going to answer some questions for us; if you cannot answer them, you'll receive punishment, understood?"

"Of course," I said, "Although, you cannot expect me to know all the answers you are looking for . . . don't forget, I'm not much older than what the kid is . . . I have limited knowledge,"

"Maybe," the man agreed, "But I'm sure that you'll have more knowledge than that dumb brat,"

I growled at him, though held myself back; I had to keep Kakarot and myself alive if we were to survive long enough for someone to find us.


	2. Torture

**Warnings: This chapter contains sexual themes, but nothing graphic ****_yet_**

* * *

**2 Torture**

_~Continuation: - Point-of-View of the Saiyan Prince: Vegeta~_

"Can I ask a question?"

"That's a bold thing to ask; don't forget, I am the one asking questions," the man replied as he threw me into a different room and locking the door behind him.

"I know that," I said, dusted myself off as I stood up, "But what do we call you?"

The man's eyes narrowed on me for a moment, but then he sighed and sat down at the table in the middle of the room.

"Ignatius," he mumbled, "That's my name, but don't go thinking that because we know each other's names that we're going to become friends!"

"Of course not," I whispered, "I just want to know the name of my enemy,"

"You little punk," Ignatius growled, gripping the front of my gown, "You better watch your tongue if you want to keep your skin,"

"On the contrary; you know very well that if someone finds us, and we are in a worse condition than what we are now, it'll be more than just _your_ skin on the line," I warned.

"You aren't the one who ought to be making threats, considering it's not just your own life at stake here," Ignatius cautioned.

"You will not touch him if you expect me to cooperate with you," I growled back.

"Then I suggest you pull your head in, you little scum,"

"You are the one who is scum here," I pointed out, "Really, going as low as to kidnapping the Prince and his friend just to get what you want?"

"Well, it's the kind of information we want that we had to get you and your little friend involved," Ignatius suddenly chuckled, "It would be darn useless if we kidnapped anyone else; besides, you two would be more easier to handle,"

"So, what you're saying is that there is someone that my friend and I know that has information that you want, yet would more than likely rip your head off if they were to find out you have their precious Prince _and_ son . . . . Am I right?" I smirked. I laughed inwardly when I saw fear in his eyes, "Then, I know exactly who you're talking about, and trust me; what you do to either me or my friend, you'll get returned tenfold. I'm guessing that just for kidnapping us, you'll lose your head,"

"You little brat; don't you dare try to intimidate me!" Ignatius struck me across the face, making me stumble backwards, though he still had a firm grip on the gown I was wearing, "You have a lot of nerve talking like that to your captor! Now listen here, you brat; any more annoying words from your mouth will result in punishment, ya hear me?!"

"Perfectly," I whispered.

"Good," he pushed me back into a second chair, "Now, let's get this over with . . . . I'm sure you are familiar with a certain 'low-level' Saiyan named Bardock, correct?" Ignatius asked.

"Yes," I replied bluntly.

"And does Bardock work on anything besides the assignments we all get?" Ignatius continued.

"Yes, he does; he's my guard when he's not doing assignments," I answered, implicitly giving him a warming.

"Okay . . . but, I'm talking about paperwork kind of stuff,"

"Yeah, he sometimes helps my father fill in paperwork, if that's what you're talking about, other than that, not that I know of," I replied.

"Right . . ." Ignatius whispered doubtingly, "He also teaches you how to fight, am I correct?"

"We have sparring sessions," I nodded.

Ignatius suddenly leaned forward, staring me in the eyes. I stared back, unafraid, though knew he was looking for something.

"There's something you're not telling me, boy," he growled.

"If there's something I'm not telling you, it's because you have not been specific," I replied calmly, also leaning forward, "Ask me again,"

"Bardock is doing secretive work within that fancy palace of yours, and it's supposed to uncover something important that my brother and I want!" Ignatius explained, "When I asked you if he was doing paperwork, you deliberately dodged what exactly he was doing; saying that it's paperwork for your father just makes me a little more suspicious . . . . You know exactly what I'm talking about, don't you?"

I didn't falter, though I did in fact know what he was talking about; the paperwork that Bardock was doing was of a section of an encrypted book that he and his crew had managed to ransack from a mission on an enemy planet; an actual enemy planet that we were rivalled to. He had been trying to translate it, by secretive orders from my father, and had, so far, translated a chapter. It was supposed to uncover something important, but, of course, being so strict about it, neither my father nor Bardock told me what it was for.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied.

Ignatius growled and leaped forward, knocking the table out of the way and knocking me to the floor, pinning me down with one hand as he punched me with the other. Instinctively, I covered my face with my hands, but then his fist slammed into my stomach and I cried out in pain.

"You lying little fuck!" Ignatius cried as he flung me across the room, "You better start being truthful, or I'll give ya worse than that!"

I picked myself up and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth.

"I've already been through poorer treatment; you're not the only one to kidnap me," I replied, "And you're certainly not the first to hit me,"

"Stop trying to be brave kid," Ignatius growled, "You think that my punches don't hurt, wait till you see what my brother could do to you,"

"Yeah . . . ? I bet he's all talk, just like you," I retorted, "Now, are you going to let us go, or do I have to force you to let us go?"

"Heh, you think you can get by us a second time, kid?" Ignatius smirked, "You've got some nerve; you couldn't beat us when we took you . . . what makes you think you'll be able to beat us now?"

"I didn't expect to be chloroformed," I replied, "I've had previous experiences with it, but I didn't except your brother to have me hit you before he knocked me out,"

"Yeah, that's because we're not stupid," Ignatius spat.

"On the contrary, what's stupid is getting _you_ to interrogate us," I suddenly smirked, "You're brother can hold a punch, that's why he was the one to grab me, not you; I bet, if I were attack you now, you wouldn't last long without your brother,"

"You little brat, you think you can beat me?!"

"I know I can beat you," I scoffed.

Ignatius lunged at me again, but this time, I was ready; I quickly jumped out of his way, and then I jumped up again and kicked him behind his head. He stumbled forward, and then turned to me, looking more than a little peeved. I smirked as tried to grab me again; I quickly grabbed his arm, stepping to the side, then, when he was close enough, I kicked him in the gut. Ignatius collapsed to the floor, grasping his middle.

"You little runt," he winced, then, suddenly, his arm flicked out, and before, I knew it, he had grabbed hold of my ankle.

He smirked and yanked, making me fall backwards onto the ground, my head colliding with the table. I gasped and grasped my head as he stood up. Ignatius chuckled and gripped my hair as he pulled me to my feet, making me cry out.

"You brat, you shouldn't have tried to take me on," he smirked.

I glared up at him, then, gripping his hand that held me, I lifted my leg and kicked him again, sending him to the ground again. I stumbled as I landed on my feet. I approached him, though kept my distance, and then I smirked and folded my arms across my chest.

"I may have a few faults, but they're not as bad as yours," I chuckled, "At least I can pick out openings to attack, unlike you,"

"You little shit," Ignatius growled as he stood back up, "I ought to teach you some manners,"

"Oh, yeah . . . ?" I taunted him, "Come on then,"

Suddenly the door to the room was smashed open and a tall, muscular, mean-looking man stepped in.

"What seems to be the problem here?" he asked, glaring at me before his eyes landed on Ignatius, "Having difficulties with our guest, are we brother?"

I gulped; this one did look like he could take me down, no sweat. Ignatius laughed at my reaction then roughly grabbed my hair again. I whimpered a little, then looked back toward the taller man and gasped.

"I- . . . I know you . . ." I whispered as he approached me.

The man smirked then struck me hard across my face; knocking me out.

* * *

When I woke up next, I was back in the cell, and I found that I had bandages covering me. Figures; they go through all the trouble of beating me then feel guilty enough to bandage me up. I gasped and looked closer at the bandages on my arm; I recognised the way they had been tied. I was right; that man . . . he did look familiar, but it wasn't because I knew him before, on the contrary, I knew him through someone else. I looked over towards Kakarot who was sleeping on the other end of the cell and noticed that he two had small bandaged here and there.

This wasn't good; if Bardock knew . . . . There'd be no stopping him if he found out. My fists clenched nervously on the gown I wore as tears welled up in my eyes for some reason. I missed him . . . but how; he'd only been away from me for a day and a half.

"My Prince . . . ?"

I looked up to see Kakarot rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He eyed me worriedly as he approached me, sitting beside me.

"Kakarot . . . how are you?" I asked him.

"I am fine . . . it's you I'm worried about," Kakarot replied, "What did they want?"

"I'm fine, Kakarot . . ." I whispered, "They . . . they just wanted to know if I knew if . . . someone was working on a secret assignment," I didn't want to tell him the whole story; I didn't want to upset him.

"Do you know?" Kakarot asked.

". . . Only a little," I replied, "It's enough that they'd want it, but I can't tell them,"

"Why not?!" Kakarot cried, standing up, "Why can't you tell them? It's better than being in here and being mistreated!"

I stared up at him for a moment, before I hung my head.

"I'm not supposed to know about it," I said quietly, "I only know because . . . I heard it from my father . . ."

"W-wait . . . then, what they want . . . could it lead to war?" Kakarot whispered almost fearfully.

"That won't happen," I told him, though I wasn't really certain that it wouldn't, "I . . ." I lowered my voice and beckoned him closer. Understanding, Kakarot came closer so that he's nose was nearly touching mine, "I only know that what they want was from our rival's planet,"

"Oh," Kakarot nodded, "So . . . then, what are we supposed to do?"

"Well, I've already tried to break free from Ignatius, but his brother put a stop to our fight," I replied, "I suppose the next thing is to wait for someone to find us,"

"But, that could take ages," Kakarot whispered.

"I know," I sighed quietly, ". . . did he hurt you much?"

"Huh . . . ?" Kakarot suddenly bowed his head, "N-no, I was mainly scared because he kept holding the knife up at me . . . it's so humiliating,"

"Kakarot, it's alright to be afraid sometimes," I assured him, "It's nothing to feel humiliated over, trust me,"

"R-really . . . ?" Kakarot looked up at me with pleading eyes.

"Yes; if you're afraid, I can understand why," I replied softly, "And it's okay to be,"

I was suddenly knocked over as Kakarot jumped at me.

"You're the nicest person I've ever met," he grinned, his cheek rubbing against mine.

"You mustn't have gotten out much then," I gasped.

Kakarot sat back, smiling, but then his smile slipped as his eyes glanced over my shoulder. I quickly turned to see Ignatius' brother smirking back at us. Shit, had he heard what I said? This wasn't good. The worry I felt heightened when he suddenly opened the cell. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me out.

I saw Kakarot glaring at the man, ready to attack him, but I quickly told him not to.

"It's okay, Kakarot," I said hurriedly as I was dragged out of the cell, "Just stay strong,"

Kakarot nodded hesitantly as Ignatius' brother locked the cell. He then let my hair go, and, instead, grabbed me around my waist and took me to the room Ignatius took me into earlier. However, the room had changed; instead of the table and two chairs, there was a bench with straps on it and a fire blazing in an enclosed area in to corner of the room.

Ignatius was there, beside the fire, and he chuckled as his brother dropped me roughly onto the bench and began tightening the straps around my legs, removed the gown I was given before strapping my arms down. I shivered despite myself; although there was a fire in the room, it was cold.

"Don't worry, you won't be cold soon," the brother smirked before nodding to his brother.

I looked over at Ignatius, feeling fear rise up in my chest as he showed me his knife; the blade was orange with a white tip.

"N-no, please don't," I gasped as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Tell us what we want to know and we'll let you and your friend free," Ignatius' brother retorted.

"I've already told you what I know," I replied as I eyed the hot blade, "I swear, I don't know any more than what I've told you,"

"You haven't really told us all that you know, kid, you better start talking!" the brother countered, again, nodding to his brother.

I winced then cried out as the blade touched my skin, scorching me. I pulled at the straps, but I couldn't get free. Ignatius' brother gripped my legs tightly.

"It's simple, kid; just tell us what you know and we won't hurt you," he growled.

"I don't know what you want!" I cried, screaming as the blade was pressed against my skin again.

"Stop lying to us brat!" Ignatius spat, "Bardock's work for your father; what is it?!"

"I don't know," I whimpered, and again the blade was dragged across my skin, "AHHH! O-okay . . . okay, it's an encryption!"

"Of what . . . ?" Ignatius' brother asked.

"I-I . . . I don't know," I gasped then screamed as the blade lightly sliced across my chest, "I-I s-swear; I don't know! B-Bardock's t-trying to, d-decode it, I don't know what it means!"

"Where's it from?" Ignatius hissed.

"I . . . I-I c-can't; I- A-AHH!" I cried out as the hot knife blade ran across my abdomen, "I-it's, its f-from o-our r-rival's p-planet . . . B-Bardock's c-crew found it . . ."

"There now, that wasn't so hard now was it," Ignatius' brother smirked, "And here I thought you said that you had been through shoddier punishments," he laughed, "Now, how about a little treat for your cooperation?"

I stared up at him with tear-filled eyes; I didn't want to know what he meant by 'treat', but I know, whether I liked it or not, I'd find out. The brother suddenly grabbed my chin sharply and I was shocked when his lips were pressed against mine. In disgust, I weakly turned my face away from him and he chuckled.

"Put him back in the cell, and get my mate to fix him up," he ordered Ignatius as he left.

Ignatius unstrapped me and roughly pulled the gown over me before wrenching me off the bench so that I fell onto the stone floor. My body felt so shaken and weak that I couldn't even defend myself when Ignatius kicked me hard in the ribs. I gasped and coughed up droplets of blood before he yanked me onto my feet before pushing me out of the room, towards the cell. I dropped onto my knees when he pushed me into the cell; I could hear him laugh coldly as he left.

"M-my Prince . . . ?" Kakarot's voice barely reached my ears.

"Don't call me that," I replied quietly, "I'm no Prince . . . I'm nothing . . ."

"B-but, y-your Majesty . . ." Kakarot faltered as he searched for words, "Y-you may feel like they've beaten you, but they haven't," he whispered, "You're still alive, and, besides; for as long as I live, you will always be my Prince, and I'll always protect you,"

I looked up at him in shock; to think that a nine year old would be saying that to a thirteen (almost fourteen) year old; I should be the one protecting him; it's partially my fault that he was there. Tears blurred my vision and I bowed my head.

"I-I'm so sorry, Kakarot," I whispered before I huddled in on myself, "I'm so, so sorry that you got caught up in this,"

"W-why . . . ?" Kakarot asked, "You haven't done anything wrong,"

"Yes . . . I have," I gasped, looking up at him, "I- . . . I told them . . . I told them what I knew!"

Kakarot became silent as I chocked on tears; I felt so horrible, and guilty; I was supposed to be strong! Yet . . . I had let them get to me; let them make me feel like I was weak.

"V-Vegeta . . . ?"

My eyes widened and I sat up; the voice . . . . I turned towards the cell door.

"R-Raditz . . . ?" I gasped, "Th-they got you too . . . ?!"

"N-not exactly," Raditz looked down, looking slightly guilty, "Ignatius is my _brother_-in-law- . . ."

"W-what?!" I cried, shocked, "Your mate is doing this?!"

"Y- . . . yes, I'm sorry," Raditz bowed his head.

I stared at him for a long while; what happened to him? He looked so meek and docile. My mind suddenly began to imagine scenarios between Raditz and his mate; what had he done to him?

"R-Raditz . . . ?" I whispered, "D-did . . . did he do anything bad to you?"

Raditz looked up at me in shock, and then he suddenly seemed nervous and hesitant to answer.

"Alari doesn't treat me as bad as what people think," he replied quietly, "We have fights, but that's nothing unusual for mates, so I don't know why everyone's so fussed over it,"

"Raditz, there's fighting, and there's mistreating; are you sure you know the difference?" I asked him.

I noticed that he shuddered at that comment, but he didn't reply, instead he unlocked the cell and stepped inside before closing the door after him. He took out some bandages, burn lotion, and antiseptic from his pocket.

"Where are your wounds?" he asked mutely.

I sighed, knowing that he wasn't going to continue on with the conversation, so I took off the gown, wincing a little as my skin pulled at the wounds, once covered with dry blood, but now the blood trailed down my chest and legs; the burns stung against the cold air and I had to bit my lip to stop myself from crying out. Wordlessly, Raditz motioned me to lie down before he began to dab antiseptic on my wounds. I inhaled sharply and winced, clenching my fists on the tattered sheets underneath me.

"Sorry," Raditz mumbled as he began to bandage my wounds.

"I-it's okay," I whispered as I sat up.

The cell suddenly seemed too quite; Raditz was sitting with his head bowed again, and Kakarot was looking from me to him.

"W-what's wrong-?" I was stunned into silence when Raditz suddenly struck me across the face, "W-what was that for?!"

"You idiot!" Raditz cried, "Why the fuck did you tell them?!" I unconsciously shrunk back away from him, as tears filled my eyes once more, "Do you have any idea what they're going to do now?!" I shook my head, "They're going to hunt down my papa and probably beat the encryption out of him!"

"I-I didn't know . . ." I whispered, stunned.

"Why would you?" Raditz growled, "All you ever think about is yourself and what benefits you most!"

Before I could reply, he slammed the cell door behind him, hastily locked the door and left. I felt my body quiver as the tears now fell freely. I looked over towards Kakarot to see that he was as stunned as I was by Raditz's outburst.

"Now what do you think of me?" I asked, "Am I still your _'Prince'_ now?"

"Don't listen to what Raditz said; if you only thought of yourself, I'd be in a worse condition," Kakarot replied quietly, "There wasn't any way that you would've known, unless you could read minds,"

"No," I agreed, "But, from how Raditz said it, it sounds like they were planning to do that to begin with . . . I should've realised,"

"Don't worry," Kakarot suddenly smiled, "My papa's strong; he won't let those men get away for what they've done . . . and I'm sure he'd be able to help Raditz out of this too,"

"W-what do you mean?" I asked him.

"Last time Raditz came in here, he was bruised and bleeding and he seemed rather edgy," Kakarot replied, "I think you know why,"

". . . Yeah," I sighed, "That mate of his isn't the 'loving' type,"

* * *

_~Point-of-View of the Third-Class Warrior: Bardock~_

I sighed as I rested against a boulder in the middle of the deserted plans of Planet Vegeta.

"Damn it, Tora would you hurry up?" I said in irritation, "You should've damn gone before we left, damn it!"

"Well, you don't need to be so tetchy," Tora replied stepping out from behind the boulder, "We left over six hours ago; you're just itching to smash someone's head in, so don't take it out on me,"

"For fuck sakes, Tora; if it was your child, I'm sure you would've felt the same way I do now!" I cried.

"Ah, that memory of yours is sure getting corroded," Tora shook his head rather sadly.

"I-I meant if you gave _birth_ to them, then you'd know how I feel!" I quickly replied.

Tora chuckled and gently ruffled my hair.

"Right, that _'maternity instinct'_ of yours, huh?" his arms wrapped around my waist, "Now just because you were the one to birth them, doesn't mean that I won't ever feel protective of our kids in the same way; I'm worried just as much as you are, but I'm saving my anger for the fight, okay?"

I sighed and rested my head on his chest.

"I know," I whispered, "I sometimes forget though, because you act like my best friend when the other guys are around . . . . It's been ages since it was just you and me,"

"Well, maybe we should tell them," Tora suggested.

"Are you kidding?" I asked, glaring up at him, "I can't stand to imagine the thought of them nagging at me about it,"

"Now, now, no need to be a drama queen over it," Tora chuckled kissing my forehead softly, "I'm sure they'd understand, besides, I think Fasha's already figured it out,"

"Damn it," I whispered then chuckled, "And here I thought we could keep it our little secret,"

Tora laughed before his lips engulfed mine. I moaned and deepened the kiss as he pushed me back against the boulder, our lips only parted to allow gasps of air. His hands moved up along my armour before bringing them down to lift it off completely, making us part from our kiss, but his lips quickly returned, but this time, he began to lightly kiss and nip at my neck. I gasped as he did so.

Before long, Tora had removed his own armour and our hips were rubbing together erotically, making me moan quietly, as his hands roamed over my chest and his lips made small bruises on my neck. I gripped his arms as he suddenly brought us to the ground and hooking my leg over his shoulder. Tora's lips found their way to mine again, and his hands slid down to yank down my pants. I gasped and quickly grabbed his hand.

"T-Tora . . . w-we can't," I whispered, pushing him back so I could sit up.

"Bardock . . . w-what's wrong?" Tora blinked.

"Now whose memory's getting corroded?" I asked as I pulled my armour back on, "The kids, Tora; I can't . . . I can't do this til I know they're safe,"

"Enough said," Tora gave a small smile as he pulled his own armour back on, "Has their location changed?"

I fitted my scouter back on and pressed the button on the side.

"No, they're still there . . ." I replied, ". . . All three,"

"Three . . . ?" Tora asked, "W-wait, you mean-,"

"Raditz is there too," I growled, my fists clenching.


End file.
